Weather seal covering assembly for a window

Abstract

A weather seal covering assembly includes a base unit mounted on the casing surrounding the window and a covering unit releasably attached to the base unit by a triple seal. The covering unit can be removed to expose the window, and the triple seal includes a zipper unit, a snap fastener unit and a hook-and-loop unit. An intrusion alarm uses the snap fastener elements. The intrusion alarm is also activated should the covering unit be moved away from the base unit, and a vacuum system further seals the covering unit to the base unit.

I claim: 
     
       1. A weather seal covering assembly for a window comprising: (A) a base unit fixedly attached to a casing and peripherally surrounding a window, said base unit including (1) translucent plastic body having a rear surface and a front surface and a thickness as measured between said rear surface and said front surface, and   (2) an opening having an inner perimeter surrounding said window;     (B) a window covering unit removably attached to said base unit and including an outer perimeter which essentially matches the inner perimeter of said base unit;   (C) a sealing assembly releasably sealing said covering unit to said base unit and including (1) flap element on said covering unit and attached to said covering unit at an attachment location spaced from said covering unit outer perimeter,   (2) a zipper unit having one set of teeth on said window covering unit outer perimeter, a second set of teeth on said base unit inner perimeter, and a pull tab element connected to said first and second sets of teeth to open and close said zipper unit,   (3) a snap fastener unit having a multiplicity of stud elements mounted on said covering unit adjacent to said one set of zipper teeth and a multiplicity of socket elements mounted on said covering unit flap adjacent to said second set of zipper teeth, and   (4) a hook-and-loop fastener unit having a loop tape portion mounted on said covering unit flap adjacent to said fastener element stud elements and a hook tape portion mounted on said base element adjacent to said snap fastener unit socket elements, and   (5) said base unit socket elements being located between said hook tape portion and said zipper unit second set of teeth and said covering unit stud elements being located between said loop tape portion and said zipper unit one set of teeth, with said flap projecting over said zipper unit and said snap fastener unit to form a pocket with said base unit; and     (D) an intrusion alarm system which includes (1) an alarm and bridge circuit which includes a Wheatstone Bridge,   (2) line conductor means connecting said alarm and bridge circuit to each of adjacent pairs of said socket elements, with said socket elements being electrically insulated from each other,   (3) a resistor element connecting each of a pair of adjacent stud elements together, and   (4) said Wheatstone Bridge being designed so that connection of said resistor element to said Wheatstone Bridge by coupling the stud elements to the socket elements will balance said Wheatstone Bridge whereby disconnection of one stud element from a socket element or shorting of the adjacent socket elements will unbalance the Wheatstone Bridge and activate the alarm.     
     
     
       2. The weather seal covering assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said window covering unit is formed of MYLAR. 
     
     
       3. The weather seal covering assembly defined in claim 2 wherein said intrusion alarm system further includes a magnetic reed switch mounted on said covering unit, a magnet mounted on said base unit and an alarm circuit connected to a source of power via said reed switch. 
     
     
       4. The weather seal covering assembly defined in claim 3 further including a vacuum system which has a vent pipe connected to said pocket and vacuum pump connected to said vent pipe.